1998 Chevy Blazer: I replace the rear hatch lift struts/supports..2wd

Resolved Question:

do you have the new struts yet?if you look at the back side of the new struts you should see a little peice of meteal bent around each end of them.do you see that?if you do you use a small flat blade screw driver and pop those both off the old struts.once those are poped out the strut will pop right off.install the new ones just by poping them in place of where the old ones were.no need to touch those metal clips on the new ones.they will self lock when you pop them on.in this picture looking at the top of the strut you will see the metal clip.

No, I don't have the new struts yet, the olds ones just started failing suddenly yesterday. I'll go get them today and give it a try. The upper end of the strut is in a tight place on the side of the hatch, when I have more light I'll go take a peek. Thanks for the help. Any other hints on replacing the struts? I know I should do one at a time. what about extending or compressing the new strut? I assume they will be fully extended when installing and the weight of the hatch compresses them?

one at a time once you pop out the old clips on the old struts they will pop off by hand.since the glass is up or being held up by someone when you pop in the new ones(the new ones will be extended) just hold the glass fully up and align the struts to the pins coming out of the body and pop them in by hand.once they are both in you will be fine.the good thing is the old ones are getting thrown out so just use a screwdriver and pop the old clips right out

OK, thanks. Just to be sure, when you say "glass", you also mean the full Blazer lift gate too? The glass is a part of the lift gate that is separate. My struts that failed are for the entire Blazer rear lift gate.

This expert is wonderful. They truly know what they are talking about, and they actually care about you. They really helped put my nerves at ease. Thank you so much!!!!AlexLos Angeles, CA

Thank you for all your help. It is nice to know that this service is here for people like myself, who need answers fast and are not sure who to consult.GPHesperia, CA

I couldn't be more satisfied! This is the site I will always come to when I need a second opinion.JustinKernersville, NC

Just let me say that this encounter has been entirely professional and most helpful. I liked that I could ask additional questions and get answered in a very short turn around. EstherWoodstock, NY

Thank you so much for taking your time and knowledge to support my concerns. Not only did you answer my questions, you even took it a step further with replying with more pertinent information I needed to know. RobinElkton, Maryland

Ask a Chevy Mechanic

Get a Professional Answer. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed.

32 Chevy Mechanics are Online Now

Type Your Chevy Question Here...

characters left:

Disclaimer: Information in questions, answers, and other posts on this site ("Posts") comes from individual users, not JustAnswer; JustAnswer is not responsible for Posts. Posts are for general information, are not intended to substitute for informed professional advice (medical, legal, veterinary, financial, etc.), or to establish a professional-client relationship. The site and services are provided "as is" with no warranty or representations by JustAnswer regarding the qualifications of Experts. To see what credentials have been verified by a third-party service, please click on the "Verified" symbol in some Experts' profiles. JustAnswer is not intended or designed for EMERGENCY questions which should be directed immediately by telephone or in-person to qualified professionals.